George mann



GEORGE MANN, .13.,

OF OTTAWA, ILLINOIS.

CLEARING-GUARD 0F GRAIN-ELEVATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 17,289, dated May 12. 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE MANN, J r., of Ottawa, in the county of Lasalle and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Protector for Grain- Elevators, whereby foreign substances are prevented from entering the elevated spout and clogging or choking the same; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1. is a vertical section of a grain bin and a portion of an elevated spout; my improvement being shown applied to the feed opening; (.90), (m), Fig. 2, indicates the plane of section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the grainbin; (11 (3 Fig. 1, indicating the plane of section.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the two figures.

This invention is designed to remedy the difficulty which now exists in elevating grain in flouri ng mills. The grain is fed through an opening in the bin into the elevated spout, and as all grain contains more or less foreign substances or matter, such as straw, sticks, cobs, etc., the elevators frequently become choked or clogged, and considerable trouble is occasioned in freeing the elevators, and they are generally more or less injured, the buckets being bent and frequently wrenched from their straps.

The invention consists in placing a sliding grate or screen over the feed opening in the bin and in front of the usual slide, the bars of the grate or screen being bent or curved at their lower ends so as to form a sort of scoop to retain the foreign substances, the grain beingallowed to pass through; The foreign substances when the scoop is full are elevated to the upper part of the bin by raising the grate or screen, and removed from the screen, the slide being closed over the feed opening when the screen is raised. WVhen the screen is emptied of its contents it is lowered to its proper position over the feed opening and the slide again raised.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a bin containing grain, and

B represents a portion of an elevator spout D represents a grate or screen which is formed of a series of parallel .bars (0) which are fitted in a rectangular frame This frame (cl) works on two vertical guide rods (6), (e) placed within the bin A, the rods (e) passing through eyes (f) at the sides of the frame The grate or screen is placed directly over or in front of the opening (a) and the upper end of the grate has a rod or handle (g) attached to it, said rod or handle extending up through the top of the bin A. The lower ends of the bars (0) are curved or bent outward from the opening (a) so as to form a sort of scoop as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

The upper end of the bin A is provided with a trap door (7)).

The grain E, shown in red, within the bin A is allowed to pass in a greater or less quantity into the elevated spout B by adjusting the slide G at the proper height.

The grate or screen D being lowered and directly in front of the opening (a) retains all foreign substances, such as straw, sticks, cobs, etc., which so frequently choke or clog the elevators, and it will readily be seen that the lower end of the grate or screen forms a scoop to retain the foreign substances, and when the screen or scoop is full, the slide C is lowered so as to close the opening (a) and the grate or screen is drawn upward and the foreign substances removed by hand. The grate or screen is then lowered to its former or original position, and the slide C raised to allow the grain to again pass into the elevated spout.

Thus it will be seen that by this simple invention the difiiculty now occasioned 1n consequence of the elevators becoming choked lower part curved or bent as shown, and or clogged by foreign substances is effectuused in connection With the slide 0, substanally obviated. many as described, for the purpose set forth. 10

Hating thus' described my invention, What GEORGE MANN, JR.

A. R. LITTLE,

5 I claim zis'new, and desire to secure by Let- Witnesses:

ters Patent, is:

The sliding grate or spring D having its GEO. S.'STEBBINS. 

